Sit Down and Shut Up – Vipassana Meditation in India

Meditation is not something I could ever claim to have had any interest in, and Vipassana was jumping right in at the deep end. We were instructed to maintain ‘Noble Silence’ for the length of the course. That meant no talking, writing, reading, non-verbal communication or even eye contact with anyone for the whole 10 days.

A Surfing Adventure In India

This was it! I had caught the wave, the rush of water sending me careering towards the beach. But I wasn’t surfing yet. I lifted my torso, hands flat on the board, wrists tight against my ribcage. Gaining speed I pushed down on the board, popping upwards, sliding my legs up the board to take […]

The 3 Peaks

Ice and hail clawed at any exposed skin. Energy was low and the likelihood of developing frostbite was rising with every minute we spent at altitude. Through the blizzard, one of the team could be seen, most likely Ellis, but it was hard to tell. He took one laboured step, clearly exhausted. He knew he […]

All Roads Lead to Home

On 20 June 2015, I cycled around a corner and found myself home after 13 months, 9202 miles, 1271 cycling hours, 19 countries, and three continents. As I rounded the corner I wasn’t alone, I was with Dora, of course, but I had also been joined by a couple of close friends, my two brothers and […]